1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a pleated shade, and more particularly to a pleated shade wherein the pleats have intermittent tabs which gives the shade a softer appearance when extended.
2. Background of the Invention
In a standard pleated shade construction, a piece of material is pleated into a plurality of horizontal sections which stack one on top of the other when the shade is in its raised position. Alternate pleats face toward the front and rear of the shade. Each section has at least one hole punched preferably through the transverse center thereof which holes are aligned when the shade is folded. Normally, there would be two or more aligned rows of holes formed in the shade sections. Lift cords passing through the aligned holes are utilized to control the raising and lowering of the shade and also control the folding of the pleat.
Another way to make a pleated shade is disclosed in my U.S. Pat. No. 4,974,656, which describes a pleated shade construction which does not result in cords and holes being visible from the front of the shade, which provides enhanced energy efficiency, stronger and more durable pleats and enhanced rigidity in some applications while still being relatively simple and inexpensive to fabricate. The shade includes a headrail, a bottomrail, and a piece of material having a plurality of pleats preformed therein, alternate pleats projecting towards the front, and back of the material The material is connected at one end to the headrail and at the other end to the bottomrail. A means is provided for securing together the two sections of material forming each of the back projecting pleats along substantially the entire width of the material to form a narrow tab projecting from the rear of each of such pleats The sections may be secured together by welding, gluing, sewing or other suitable means. Cord holes are formed in each of the tabs, corresponding holes being accurately aligned, and a lift cord extends from the headrail through each aligned set of cord holes to the bottomrail. The pleated shade utilizes rear projecting tabs which permits two sections of pleated shade to be easily and invisibly spliced together. The rigidity of the pleats may be enhanced by providing a double-weld joint for the tab or by otherwise providing a multiple or continuous bond between the two fabric layers forming the tab. The joints used to form the tabs may be used as splice joints to secure together two pieces of shade material.
However, this and other prior art pleated shades typically exhibit a rectilinear or xe2x80x9chardxe2x80x9d appearance, due in part to the material used to make the shade which is coated to hold the permanent creases and also due in part to the method of manufacture. Conventional methods of constructing the pleated material for a simple, single pleat type of shade involve either creasing the entire length of material at regular intervals, creasing portions of material and creating tabs which may be joined together to form, or repair, a shade from more than a single piece of material, to as described my U.S. Pat. No. 4,974,656. The xe2x80x9chardxe2x80x9d appearance generally results because the crease or the tabs used to form the pleats are continuous along the entire width of the shade material and very straight, even sharp.
Accordingly, in order to provide a more aesthetically pleasing pleated shade, it is desirable to provide a pleated shade which has a xe2x80x9csofter,xe2x80x9d more textured appearance than conventional pleated shades.
A pleated shade with intermittent tabs is provided, in which alternate pleats are tabbed intermittently along their length. The intermittent tabs give the pleats a textured appearance when the shade is extended in the lowered position. The intermittently tabbed pleated shade can include typical components such as a headrail and a bottomrail, to which the top and bottom of the pleated shade, respectively, are connected. Preferably there are sets of vertically aligned tabs; at least one and usually two or more sets of tabs will have aligned cord holes through which a lift cord can pass.
To form the intermittently tabbed pleated shade, a piece of material is provided which has a plurality of horizontal sections of material or pleat faces, each pair of adjacent horizontal sections meeting at a pleat which has been preformed therein such that the horizontal sections stack one on top of the other when the shade is in its raised position. The pleats project alternately towards front and back of the material. One end of the material is connected to the headrail and the other end to the bottomrail. Respective adjacent horizontal sections of material, which form the back projecting pleats, are intermittently secured together at spaced apart locations along the width of the material. This creates a number of intermittent tabs across the rear portion of each of the back projecting pleats which, when the shade is lowered, results in each of the intermittently tabbed pleats having a textured appearance. This arrangement puts a tremendous stress on the edges of the bondline at the tab. Even the fabric may fail at this point. Ultrasonic and heat welding are desirable methods of tabbing because they do not introduce additional material that would make the stack uneven and difficult to drill accurately.
Preferably a soft material of the type having more of a drapery hand or xe2x80x9cfeelxe2x80x9d is used. Such material will have smoother, fuller contours than stiffer materials. When using softer materials it may be necessary to support the tabs to protect the peel bonds from too much stress and to guarantee consistent folding over time. Spacing systems are provided on the tab side of the shade.
Other details, objects, and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings figures of certain embodiments thereof.